Arts & Entertainment

No longer just a format to stream previously aired television shows and movies; Netflix has become a platform to release its own original television series.

Stepping out into the realm of drama, comedy, horror and children’s programming, Netflix released the series “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Hemlock Grove” and “Mako Mermaids.”

In addition to these series, Netflix added to the popular FOX sitcom “Arrested Development” by releasing a fourth season.

Not only do these series have fans amongst the general public, they have caught the eye of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

“House of Cards,” “Hemlock Grove” and “Arrested Development” are up for 14 Primetime Emmy nominations, with “House of Cards” gaining the majority of nine nominations.

Nominations for the political drama include outstanding lead actor and actress in a drama series, for Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

Spacey leads as an ambitious congressman, Francis Underwood, who along with his wife Claire seek to triumph over Washington D.C.

Other nominations include outstanding directing for a drama, outstanding music composition for a series, outstanding original main title theme music, outstanding casting for a drama series, outstanding cinematography for a single camera series, outstanding single camera picture editing for a drama and outstanding drama series.

House of Cards will be up against the major cable drama series “Breaking Bad” (AMC), “Game of Thrones” (HBO), “Homeland” (Showtime), “Downton Abbey” (PBS) and “Madmen”(AMC).

Following “House of Cards,” the series “Arrested Development” walked away with three nominations for outstanding lead actor in a comedy, outstanding single-camera picture editing for a comedy series and outstanding music composition for a series.

The revival of “Arrested Development” came 10 years after its original airdate in 2003 and seven years after the show ended in 2006.

The sitcom follows a formerly wealthy family who loses it all when their father is suddenly arrested. The original cast, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera and Will Arnett, reunited to film the latest installment.

The last series to be nominated, “Hemlock Grove,” brings in nominations for outstanding special visual effects and outstanding original main title theme music.

“Hemlock Grove” is a horror series directed by Eli Roth and based on the same named novel by Brian McGreevy.

Set in Pennsylvania, Hemlock Grove residents discover a deceased teenage body in which a manhunt for the killer ensues.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 22 on CBS at 5:00 p.m. PT.

In addition to the series that have already been released, new shows are set to air as Netflix originals this year- “Derek,” a drama-comedy mockumentary lead by Rick Gervais and “Turbo F.A.S.T.,” an animated series being created in conjunction with DreamWorks Animation.

“Turbo F.A.S.T.” is stated to be a series based on the movie release of “Turbo,” by DreamWorks, an animated film about a snail that receives super-speed.

“Turbo F.A.S.T.” will hit Netflix later this year in December. Netflix will also be stepping into the world of Sci-Fi and will be releasing a Sci-Fi television series called “Sense8” in late 2014.

Netflix is teaming up with the Matrix creators, the Wachowksis and J. Michael Straczynski, for what they describe as “the upcoming global tale of minds linked and souls hunted”.

Since the founding of Netflix in 1997, the instant streaming and DVD service has grown across 40 countries with 37 million members worldwide.

Netflix states that over 1 billion hours of Netflix content its viewed every month. Despite the success of many of the new series, according to USA Today Netflix stock shares dropped 7 percent at the end of the second financial quarter and lost 470,000 DVD customers. Beyond this drop of DVD customers and shares, subscription growth has raised by 630,000 members.